Pleating machine

ABSTRACT

A pleating machine comprising a frame, two rollers arranged tangentially with respect to one another and rotated intermittently and synchronously from a continuously rotating shaft. At least one pleat-forming plate in the form of a blade is fixed to the frame and is directed towards the tangential line of the rollers. A comb is designed to pivot in a plane extending through the tangential line of the rollers by driving it at one of its ends by a control rod pivoting about a fixed point arranged between its ends, one of which is pivotally connected to a crossmember while the other is actuated by a cam keyed to a continuously rotating shaft. The said comb pivots about an axis situated in a vertical plane extending through or near that end of the rollers opposite the rod. A table is designed to receive the material to be pleated and is situated in an extension of and ahead of said rollers, extending over a width at least equal to the sum of twice the width to be pleated and the width to be left unpleated, said table being retractable to release that part of the machine situated near the end of the lower roller on the side of the pivoting axis.

United States Patent [1 1 Demagny 1 Sept. 9, 1975 PLEATING MACHINE [76] Inventor; Daniel Demagny, 62, rue

Tiquetonne, 75002 Paris, France [22] Filed: May 28, 1974 [21] Appl. No; 474,068

[52] US. Cl. 223/30; 93/60; 93/86;

93/84 R [51] Int. Cl. A41H 43/00; DOSB 35/08 [58] Field of Search 2/195, I97, l82.ll82.3,

2/177, 200; 223l28 35, l, 7; 93/l D, 84 R, 86, 60; 264/282, 283

Primary ExaminerGeo. V. Larkin A/wmey, Agent, or Firm-Karl F. Ross; Herbert Dubno [57] ABSTRACT A pleating machine comprising a frame, two rollers arranged tangentially with respect to one another and rotated intermittently and synchronously from a continuously rotating shaft. At least one pleat-forming plate in the form ofa blade is fixed to the frame and is directed towards the tangential line of the rollers. A comb is designed to pivot in a plane extending through the tangential line of the rollers by driving it at one of its ends by a control rod pivoting about a fixed point arranged between its ends. one of which is pivotally connected to a crossmember while the other is actuated by a cam keyed to a continuously rotating shaft. The said comb pivots about an axis situated in a vertical plane extending through or near that end of the rollers opposite the rod. A table is designed to receive the material to be pleated and is situated in an extension of and ahead of said rollers, extending over a width at least equal to the sum of twice the width to be pleated and the width to be left unpleated, said table being retractable to release that part of the machine situated near the end of the lower roller on the side of the pivoting axis.

10 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PATENTEU SEP 91975 SHEET 1 BF 3 PATENTED SEP 9i975 SHEET 2 BF 3 PLEATING MACHINE BACKGROUND OT THE INVENTION Hitherto, no pleating machine has been capable of producing pleats on a limited area of fabric, which explains why, for example, chefs hats are hand-pleated by ironing, since their base has to remain flat while their lateral surface is pleated. Since conventional machines comprise cylindrical pressure rollers or conical pressure rollers. they are only able to form pleats over the total width of the fabric.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a new pleating machine ca pable of forming pleats in sheets of such materials as paper, woven fabrics, nonwoven fabrics, plastics, each pleat converging on a non-pleated area, thus making it possible economically to produce chefs hats and, in particular, hats which can be made of nonwoven fabrics or of paper and which can be thrown away after use.

This pleating machine comprises a frame, two rollers arranged tangentially relative to one another and rotated intermittently and synchronously by a continuously rotating shaft. At least one pleat-forming plate in the form of a blade is fixed to the machine frame and directed towards the tangential line of the rollers. A comb is formed by two blades each connected at their ends by a crossmember, the upper blade being designed to pivot about a horizontal axis in the same way as a compass relative to the aforementioned crossmembers by means of rods and eccentrics integral with a continuously rotating shaft. The comb is designed to make a pivoting movement in a plane passing through the tan gential line of the rollers because it is driven at one of its ends by means of a control rod oscillating about a fixed pivot arranged between its ends, one of which is pivotally connected to the crossmember while the other is actuated by a cam keyed to a continuously rotating shaft. According to the inventor, the comb pivots about an axis situated in a plane extending through or near that end of the rollers opposite said rod. A table receives the material to be pleated, on an extension of and ahead of said rollers, extending over a width at least equal to the sum of twice the width to be pleated and the width to be left unpleated, said table being retractable so as to release that part of the machine situated near the end of the lower roller from the pivoting axis.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description which, in conjunction with the accompanying drawing given purely by way of example, is intended to show how the invention can be put into practice.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a partial longitudinal section showing the mechanism by which the comb is opened and the mechanism by which the table is retracted.

FIG. 2 is another partial longitudinal section showing the drive mechanism for the rollers and the drive mechanism for the comb.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show the comb in two end positions.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show in elevation and section, respectively, the partial side plate situated adjacent the pivoting axis.

FIG. 7 shows a chefs hat.

FIG. 8 shows the same hat flattened before application of the head band.

FIG. 9 diagrammatically illustrates a pleat.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS M can be seen from these Figures, and more especially from FIGS. 1 and 2, a machine according to the invention uses a certain number of conventional com ponents to which are added the components designed to obtain the required result.

This machine comprises two rollers l and 2 which can be either cylindrical or slightly conical, the two rollers being arranged tangentially one above the other, their tangential generatrix being situated in a horizontal plane, each roller being integral with a shaft 3 (or 4) to which is keyed a pinion 5 (or 6) of the same diameter as the roller (See FIG. 2), so that the two rollers are driven in opposite directions, one of the pinions, for example the pinion 6, being rotated intermittently from a main continuously rotating shaft 7 by means of a conventional kinematic chain. As can be seen from FIG. 2, this kinematic chain consists of at least one free wheel 8 double-wedged at 9 and 10, of a rod 1 1, one of whose ends is pivotally connected to the casing of this free wheel while its other end is pivotally connected at 12 to a screw nut capable of being displaced in the track 13 of a rocker 14 by means ofa screw 15 turned by an adjusting lever 16, said rocker being pivotally connected at its upper end to a fixed point 17, while its lower end is connected through a rod 18 to an eccentric l9 keyed to the shaft 7. A fixed pleat-forming plate 20 converges on the tangential line of the rollers l and 2.

Situated below this pleat-forming plate are the two blades 21a and 21b forming the comb, each of the blades being integral with a supporting crossmember 22a, 22b. These supports slide between two tracks 23 and 24. The lower blade of the comb can be displaced in the manner of a compass by means of a lever 25 provided with a roller 26 designed to roll on a plate 27 supported by a rod 28 pivotally connected to a fixed point 29 at one end, while its other end provided with a roller 30 is in contact with the profile of a cam 31 keyed to the shaft 7. The comb pivots about a virtual (imaginary) axis situated on one side of the machine under the action of a rod 32 pivoting about a point formed by a screw nut 33 capable of being vertically displaced by means of a screw 34 designed to be turned by a lever 35, the rod 32 being pivoted by an eccentric 36 keyed to the shaft 7. The rod is connected to a slide block 37 moving between the tracks 23 and 24, said slide block being connected to the end of a comb support through an intermediate rod 38.

As shown in FIG. 5, the lower roller 2 is supported only on one side, its shaft 4 being mounted in a general plate 39 and in an intermediate plate 40, these two plates forming the frame of the machine. By contrast, the shaft 3 is mounted in the plate 39 and in a partial plate 4I integral with the plate 39 through crossmembers 42 (not shown in FIG. 5 but visible in FIG. 6), this partial plate 41 supporting a mechanism for lifting the roller 1 (this mechanism, which is not of any particular interest to the invention, will not be described in any more detail). The partial plate 4] supports the plate 43 which acts as a support for the plate 44 in the form of a sector, said plate 44 being integral with that end of the comb opposite the end driven by the rod 32. Balls 45 can with advantage be provided between the plates 43 and 44 to facilitate their reciprocal sliding. A large empty space is thus formed with respect to that end of the roller 2 situated near the virtual axis, said axis being situated substantially on the line intersecting a vertical plane passing through the axes of the two rollers and a vertical plane extending through the ends of these rollers. In order to prevent the blade of the comb from jamming, the pivoting axis can be the line intersecting an adjacent plane parallel to that extending through the axis of the rollers, and a plane extending through the ends of these rollers. As shown in FIG. 4, it is also possible to break the angle of the blades 21a and 21b.

Cylindrical rollers are used in cases where it is required to produce perfectly cylindrical hats. However, it is pointed out that, so far as transport of the hats is concerned, especially inexpensive, disposable hats, it is desirable to taper the hats to a certain extent to enable them to be stacked one on top of the other. In this case, the rollers used must be slightly conical, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

Like any pleating machine, the pleating machine according to the invention comprises a table whose upper surface converges on the tangential line of the rollers 1 and 2. However, since the width of the materials is considerably greater than the length of the rollers, the table 46 projects considerably beyond the machine with respect to the virtual pivoting axis. Theoretically, the width of the table should be at least equal to the width of the part which is not to be pleated (for example the base of the hat) increased by twice the width corresponding to the part to be pleated. If this table were to be fixed, it would represent an obstacle to the particle produced which assumes a tubular form during pleating. Accordingly, that part situated in the extension of the roller 2 must remain free. This is why the machine does not comprise any frame at this level, and why the table 46 is retractable. The table could be retracted by a variety of different means, for example by turning it about a vertical axis, although it is preferred to retract the table by lowering it. It is pointed out that this control should be simple and, above all, rapid. The best means would seem to be to provide the table with two parallel pantographs, such as 47, whose lower arms are pivotally connected, to a support 48 and to the plate 39 or 40, and travel through rollers 49 on a bed 50 integral with the same support.

With a machine of the kind described above, it is possible to make a hat of the kind shown in FIG. 7. As shown in FIG. 8, the lining 51 of this hat is made from a circle cut out of the material selected. The lateral part 52 is pleated, while the base 53 remains unpleated. The pleats converge on the circle defining the base. They are all triangular in shape. Accordingly, they widen from this circle to the outer circle to which the headband 54 is subsequently fixed. As shown in FIG. 7, the material changes as it is pleated from the plan view shown in FIG. 8 to the diagrammatic sectional view shown in FIG. 9. It can be seen that the gussets C and D are concealed behind the facing A which, as a result, adjoins the facing B which itself conceals another gus set, etc. This is obtained by the fact that the rollers entrain part A, the comb superposes D on C, after which the rollers entrain part B, etc.

What I claim as new is:

1. A pleating machine comprising a frame, two rollers arranged tangentially with respect to one another and rotated intermittently and synchronously from a continuously rotating shaft, at least one pleat-forming plate in the form of a blade fixed to said frame and directed towards the tangential line of the rollers, a comb formed by two blades, a respective crossmember connected to the ends of each of said blades, the upper blade being designed to pivot about a horizontal axis in the manner of a compass relative to said crossmembers by means of rods and eccentrics integral with a continuously rotating shaft, said comb being designed to make a pivoting movement in a plane extending through the tangential line of the rollers by virtue of the fact that it is driven at one of its ends by a control rod pivoting about a fixed point arranged between its ends, one of which is pivotally connected to said crossmember while the other is actuated by a cam keyed to a continuously rotating shaft, said comb pivoting about an axis situated in a vertical plane extending through or near that end of the rollers opposite said rod, a table designed to receive the material to be pleated, situated in an extension of and ahead of said rollers, said table extending over a width at least equal to the sum of twice the width to be pleated and the width to be left unpleated, said table being retractable to release that part of the machine situated near the end of the lower roller on the side of the pivoting axis of the comb in said vertical plane.

2. A pleating machine as in claim 1, wherein the machine has only an incomplete frame on the side of said pivoting axis of the comb in said vertical plane.

3. A pleating machine as in claim 2, wherein an upper partial plate is situated on the side of this pivoting axis above the plane extending through the tangential line of the rollers, said partial plate being supported by and connected to the complete plate of the frame situated on that side opposite the pivoting axis of the comb in said vertical plane.

4. A pleating machine as in claim 3, wherein said partial plate supports an end of the upper roller and the means forming the pivoting axis of the comb in said vertical plane.

5. A pleating machine as in claim 4, wherein these means consist of two superposed plates sliding on one another, the upper plate being connected to the crossmember of the comb situated on the side opposite its driven side, the lower plate or rolling table being integral with the partial plate.

6. A pleating machine as in claim 1, wherein the lower roller is only supported on that side opposite the pivoting axis of the comb in said vertical plane.

7. A pleating machine as in claim 6 further comprising two parallel plates situated on that side opposite the pivoting axis of the comb in said vertical plane and carrying said lower roller.

8. A pleating machine as in claim I further comprising a slide block, an oscillating control rod and a con necting rod for displacing one of the crossmembers of said comb for compensating the angular movement of the comb.

9. A pleating machine as in claim 1, wherein said table is mounted on a scissor linkage system whose upper end position is that which corresponds to the upper plane of the table converging towards the tan gential rolling plane.

10. A pleating machine as in claim 9, wherein the scissor linkage system is supported by one of the plates of the machine supporting the shaft of the lower roller and by a support situated below the lateral end of the table. 

1. A pleating machine comprising a frame, two rollers arranged tangentially with respect to one another and rotated intermittently and synchronously from a continuously rotating shaft, at least one pleat-forming plate in the form of a bladE fixed to said frame and directed towards the tangential line of the rollers, a comb formed by two blades, a respective crossmember connected to the ends of each of said blades, the upper blade being designed to pivot about a horizontal axis in the manner of a compass relative to said crossmembers by means of rods and eccentrics integral with a continuously rotating shaft, said comb being designed to make a pivoting movement in a plane extending through the tangential line of the rollers by virtue of the fact that it is driven at one of its ends by a control rod pivoting about a fixed point arranged between its ends, one of which is pivotally connected to said crossmember while the other is actuated by a cam keyed to a continuously rotating shaft, said comb pivoting about an axis situated in a vertical plane extending through or near that end of the rollers opposite said rod, a table designed to receive the material to be pleated, situated in an extension of and ahead of said rollers, said table extending over a width at least equal to the sum of twice the width to be pleated and the width to be left unpleated, said table being retractable to release that part of the machine situated near the end of the lower roller on the side of the pivoting axis of the comb in said vertical plane.
 2. A pleating machine as in claim 1, wherein the machine has only an incomplete frame on the side of said pivoting axis of the comb in said vertical plane.
 3. A pleating machine as in claim 2, wherein an upper partial plate is situated on the side of this pivoting axis above the plane extending through the tangential line of the rollers, said partial plate being supported by and connected to the complete plate of the frame situated on that side opposite the pivoting axis of the comb in said vertical plane.
 4. A pleating machine as in claim 3, wherein said partial plate supports an end of the upper roller and the means forming the pivoting axis of the comb in said vertical plane.
 5. A pleating machine as in claim 4, wherein these means consist of two superposed plates sliding on one another, the upper plate being connected to the crossmember of the comb situated on the side opposite its driven side, the lower plate or rolling table being integral with the partial plate.
 6. A pleating machine as in claim 1, wherein the lower roller is only supported on that side opposite the pivoting axis of the comb in said vertical plane.
 7. A pleating machine as in claim 6 further comprising two parallel plates situated on that side opposite the pivoting axis of the comb in said vertical plane and carrying said lower roller.
 8. A pleating machine as in claim 1 further comprising a slide block, an oscillating control rod and a connecting rod for displacing one of the crossmembers of said comb for compensating the angular movement of the comb.
 9. A pleating machine as in claim 1, wherein said table is mounted on a scissor linkage system whose upper end position is that which corresponds to the upper plane of the table converging towards the tangential rolling plane.
 10. A pleating machine as in claim 9, wherein the scissor linkage system is supported by one of the plates of the machine supporting the shaft of the lower roller and by a support situated below the lateral end of the table. 